


(In Which Kirk Has Committed a Minor Linguistic Faux Pas)

by ghostwise



Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-10
Updated: 2018-01-10
Packaged: 2019-03-03 01:53:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13330995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostwise/pseuds/ghostwise
Summary: A small scene written per the following prompt: “In my defense, I thought that would go a lot more smoothly.”





	(In Which Kirk Has Committed a Minor Linguistic Faux Pas)

“In my defense, I thought that would go a lot more smoothly.”

Kirk was aware of how the words sounded; they were an understatement, he knew. He wasn’t clueless. Putting on his most charming smile, he watched Spock, hoping the attempt at humor would cross cultural lines. It didn’t.

“Hmm.” Spock said simply.

Oh, it definitely hadn’t worked. Kirk deflated slightly.

“Alright,” he said, “There may have been some unexpected issues.” With that, the captain lowered himself into a chair, glad to be back in his quarters after such a disastrous meeting.

“Captain, if you had need of further practice with the language, you might have let me know before our meeting with the ambassador. I would have provided what assistance I could.”

“Well, thank you, Spock,” Kirk muttered into his hands. Finally, peering through his fingers, he saw his first officer had come to stand beside him, hands clasped behind his back impassively. “It wasn’t that bad was it?” he asked him, voice hushed, almost afraid to know truly how much of a blunder he’d made.

“Your grasp of the syntax was adequate,” Spock said simply, hesitating before continuing. “You seem to struggle with the phonemes… it is a difficult language to master, even at a basic level, captain.”

“So my accent is atrocious.”

“It is unfortunate.”

“Worse than atrocious, then!” He was laughing now. “How would I have made it through that meeting without you taking over and interpreting?”

“Poorly,” Spock said without hesitation. Then, raising his brows, he leaned forward a little, surprising Kirk with the almost conspiratorial tone he took. “Captain, some of the words you mistakenly used… it was most unbecoming.”

“Really?” Kirk felt like being swallowed by the void of space for a moment.

“I have had to send several letters of apology in the wake of what you wrought.”

“Why, Spock. I do believe you’re teasing me now!”

“Not I.” He straightened, feigning innocence. “The phonemes, captain.”

“Rubbing salt in the wound. Kicking me while I’m down!”

“The human habit of exaggeration and metaphor was in fact another part of why communications went so poorly.”

Kirk was grinning ear to ear now. He drew himself up, taking a step closer to his first officer, then, crossing his arms smoothly, aimed the full wattage of that beaming smile upon the Vulcan.

“Were there really letters of apology?”

“One. Or two.”

“I suppose we’ll have to take steps to correct my atrocious pronunciation,” he said finally, voice low.

“As I said,” Spock all but murmured, already anticipating the touch of Kirk’s hand on his shoulder, “I will provide what assistance I can.”

(Only later would he admonishingly state, “This was not altogether conducive to your practice of the local language Jim.” Best laid plans, Kirk supposed.)


End file.
